Abstract [en]

Gävle municipality has a goal to increase cycling in Gävle. In the year 2025, the proportion of journeys less than four kilometers should be at 60%, a survey from 2012 showed that the proportion were only 24% (Atterbrand et al, 2012). According to the same survey, it was found that the municipality of Gävle will not achieve their goals about the proportion of short trips undertaken by bicycle since the number has not increased since 2006 (Indebetou et al, 2012).

The essay aims to develop a concept that will encourage more people to choose the bicycle over other means of transport. The main goal is to find out how the interest in cycling in urban environments can be increased.

The work has been limited to focusing to a local level, but the idea is that the results can be used to create similar products to all urban environments.

Methods that have been used to get to the final result are interviews with individuals and with people working for the municipality of Gävle. The work also include a study of different scientific articles, an analysis to decide functions of the resulting concept and market research to determent what would be necessary to the results.

For the research, official material from municipality of Gävle is used, as well as scientific articles and interviews. The facts are used to confirm reasons why people should choose to bike over other modes of transport as well as to show that Gävle has potential as a cycling city.

The facts that are mentioned in the research are later on used to make different design proposals. Based on the interviews made, three bigger needs are presented as a way to select a design proposal to develop further. The result is presented at the end in the form of an app to smartphones.

The appearance and features for the app that has been produced occurred after making a market research where two apps for smartphones were investigated, and also a feature to cyclists who the municipality of Gävle offers via their website to offer a custom wayfinding just for cyclists. The apps that were investigated is called RunKeeper and Google Maps. RunKeeper is a motivational app to increase interest in the exercise. Google Maps is an app that uses GPS to give directions for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The market investigation provided the basis for the final app dubbed Cyclum. Cyculm give tips on places to bike to show bike lanes in the city and can offer the cyclist wayfinding between two points that the user specifies. By using Cyclum cyclist can collect statistics about their bicycle use, a way to motivate to bike more.